The rise of video in the 1980s inspired plenty of new magazines dedicated to specific genres — particularly horror. Originally positioned as an otaku “jack-of-all-trades” magazine…
With video streaming part of our daily lives today, it’s easy to forget what a revolution home video was during the 1980s. Magazines aimed at trend-setting Tokyo-ites, such as Takarajima (a counter-culture/city living magazine that was published from 1974 until 2015), would include lists of the best tapes to play at your next party, including the likes of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and Faces of Death, because “horror is a must at parties.” Otaku-centric publications like Comic Box Jr. ran lengthy features on how you could have Yasujiro Ozu, Cream Lemon, and the latest music videos from America all on your TV, while OVA anime magazines advised on how to best arrange your TV and VCR player in a four and a half tatami room. Video was becoming a way of life in Japan and V-Zone was an extension of that.
